Folding leg card table



July 5, 1938. E. SENFT FOLDING LEG CARD TABLE Original Filed 001;. 29, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet l July 5, 1938. E. SENFT FOLDING LEG CARD TABLE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Oct. 29, 1936 Attorneys July 5, 1938. I E. SENFT 2,122,846

FOLDING LEG CARD TABLE Original Filed Oct. 29, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 A itnmeus Patented July 5, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application October 29, 1936, Serial No. 108,288 Renewed May 5, 1938 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to folding leg card tables and is a continuation in part of and an improvement upon my Patent 2,067,548, January 12, 1937.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an eiiicient mechanism whereby the legs of the table may be simultaneously swung to either open or closed position.

Another important object of the invention resides in the provision of folding braces to retain the legs in open or supporting position and designing the braces to embody a means for locking the legs when they are in the open or extended position.

5, Another feature of the present invention is to provide a leg mounting that has a maximum of bearing surface so as to strengthen the legs of the table.

Further objects of the invention are to provide 20, a table of the character referred to that is strong,

compact and durable, very easy to manipulate to open or closed position, and provides a very stable table for playing cards, that is thoroughly reliable for its intended purpose and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists of a novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying specification and drawings, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the claims hereunto appended.

35, In the drawings wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several views:-

Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of the table constructed in accordance with the present invention and showing the parts in the folded or collapsed position.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the relation of the parts when the legs are open or in the extended position.

Figure 3 is a detailed vertical section taken substantially on the plane of line 3-3 of Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken substantially on the plane of line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged, detailed, fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on the plane of line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is an enlarged vertical section through the brace bars taken substantially on the plane of line 6-6 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the confronting ends of the brace bars.

Figure 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the plate supporting bracket.

0 Figure 9 is an enlarged perspective view of the leg mounting member with the leg connected thereto.

Figure 10 is an exploded perspective view of the bracket and pivot for the leg mounting member.

Referring to the drawings in detail wherein the table of the present invention is disclosed, the numeral l I indicates the table top and I 2 indicates a depending marginal skirt extending con tinuously around the edges of the table top which skirt is secured to the table top in any suitable manner.

Four folding supporting legs l3 are swingably connected at their upper ends, as will be presently described, at the four corners of the table.

There is one fiat sector-shaped plate M for each leg pivoted as at l5 situated at the apex of the radial sides thereof to an inwardly extending ear l6 formed on the plate supporting bracket I! and this bracket I! is bolted at I!) to the inside face of the skirt l2. Each of the brackets H are situated midway between the connections of the legs with the tables, which connections are at the corners. There is one leg actuating rod 29 for each leg. One end of each actuating rod is pivoted to a projection or pin 2| formed on the inside of the channel-shaped leg supporting member 22. The inner end of each leg actuating rod 20 is pivoted as at 23 to a depending lug 24 fastened in any suitable manner to the lower face of each plate I 4. These lugs 24 are situated adjacent the arcuate edge of the plate midway between the corners.

The plates I 4 all swing in unison and for this purpose they are connected together by the connecting rods 25. The connecting rods lie in a plane above the upper face of the plates l4 so as not to interfere with the movement of the actuating rods 20 which move in a plane substantially below the lower face of the plates. One connecting rod 25 is pivoted as at 26 to one corner of the plate, while the adjacent connected rod is pivoted as at 21 to the other corner of the plate, It will be seen by referring to Figures 3 and 4 that adjacent connecting rods lie in planes one above the other and opposed or alternate connecting rods lie substantially in the same plane. So as to make the adjacent connecting rods lie in planes one above the other, one of the pivots 27 on each plate carries a spacing washer or block 28 which is shown clearly in Figure 3 of the drawings. By referring to Figure 2 of the drawings it will be seen that alternate or opposed connecting rods 25 are slightly bowed, while the companion pair are straight.

A pair of brace arms 29, 30 have their outer ends 3 I, 32 respectively connected to the opposite or alternate plates l4. The confronting ends of the brace bars 29-40 overlap each other and are pivoted together at 33. It will be noted that the outer ends of these brace bars 2930 have their pivots lying between the pivotal connections of the connecting rods and the lugs 24 to which the actuating rods 20 are pivoted. Furthermore, it will be seen that the outer portions of these brace bars pass over the actuating rods at the sides since the lugs 24 extend below the lower face of the plates I4 a sufficient distance to accommodate this construction. The outer portion. of each brace bar 29, 30 is provided with a recess 34 to clear the confronting segment of the lugs 24.

In bracing position the bars 29, 3E! are in alignment with each other in end to end relation as illustrated in Figure 2, while they fold to the position shown in Figure 1 when the legs are collapsed. To hold the brace bars 29, 30 in the aligned bracing position is necessary to provide a limit stop. This stop consists of an angular strap (see Figure '7) having one apertured portion 35 extending under the inner end of brace bar 29 while the other leg extends upwardly and has an overhanging lip 36 which engages the edge of brace bar 30 and holds the two bars in alignment. An intermediate portion of the threaded shank of an elongated bolt 31 passes through the aperture in leg 35 and holds the stop to brace bar 29. The inner end of the bolt 31 is threadably connected with the arm 29 and the terminal thereof projects slightly above the plane of arm 29 and seats in a cavity 38 extending into the lower face of the bar 39. When the terminal of the bolt 31 is seated in the cavity 38 the brace bars 293ll are locked together in aligned bracing position. To allow sufficient spring or play a small amount of clearance is permitted in the pivot 33, but the fit is snug enough to prevent wabble when the parts are in locked position to afford maximum bracing action. On the remaining portion of the shank of bolt 31 is mounted a roller 39 which bears against the head of the bolt at one end and the lower face of leg 35 at the other end. The roller 39 acts as a handle to manipulate the brace bars 29, 30 to fold them to and from bracing position.

The channel-shaped leg supporting members 22 furnish a channel 40 which snugly grips the one end of each leg [3. The legs [3 are anchored in the channels by means of screws 4| extending through the inside of the channel members. At the inner end the sides of the channel-shaped leg supporting members 22 have extension ears 42, one projecting from each side, which are provided with apertures to receive the pivot bolts. The companion bracket for coaction with the leg supporting members is illustrated in Figure 10 of the drawings. This bracket is of angular configuration having one branch 43 and another branch 44'. Branches 43, 44 are provided with screw openings 45 whereby this bracket is secured by means of screws in the corners of the skirt. Branch 44 of the bracket has an inwardly directed extension 46 projecting inwardly at right angles to branch 44 and parallel with the branch 43. Extension 46 and an intermediate portion of branch 43 have aligned apertures to receive the shank of the pivot pin 41. The ears 42 on the leg mounting member 22 in assembled relation are positioned between branch 43 and extension 46 and the pivot bolt 47 extends through the openings in these ears. To make the legs swing easily there is positioned a spacing block or washer on the shank of pivot pin 41 next to branch 43 to provide sufficient clearance. It is pointed out that the crown or inner wall of the leg supporting members 22 in the open or table supporting position have a wide bearing contact with the one branch 44 of the angular leg supporting bracket as is clearly shown in Figure 5. Furthermore, the construction of the leg bracket with the extension 46 cut out and extending from the upper edge of branch 44 provides a pivot mounting for the leg spaced from the skirt and furnishes a pocket indicated by the arrow 59 when the legs are folded, which pocket receives the end of the adjoining leg all of which is shown in Figure 3 of the drawings.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:--

1. In combination, a table top, legs swingably mounted under the table top, plates one for each leg, means for swingably mounting the plates under the table top, said plates being located between the swingable leg mounting means, connecting rods engaged with the plates to cause the plates to swing in unison, actuating rods engaged with the plates and legs to cause the legs to swing in unison, folding brace means having parts connected with alternate plates and to each other, and coacting means carried by the brace parts to limit the folding sweep thereof.

2. In combination, a table top, legs swingably mounted under the table top, plates one for each leg, means for swingably mounting the plates under the table top, said plates being located be tween the swingable leg mounting means, connecting rods engaged with the plates to cause the plates to swing in unison, actuating rods engaged with the plates and legs to cause the legs to swing in unison, and a pair of brace arms having their outer ends pivotally connected one to each of the alternate plates and having confronting portions pivoted to each other in overlapping relation.

3. In combination, a table top, legs swingably mounted under the table top, plates one for each leg, means for swingably mounting the plates under the table top, said plates being located between the swingable leg mounting means, connecting rods engaged with the plates to cause the plates to swing in unison, actuating rods engaged with the plates and legs to cause the legs to swing in unison, a pair of brace arms having their outer ends pivotally connected one to each of the alternate plates and having confronting portions pivoted to each other in overlapping relation, and means carried by a confronting portion of one brace arm engaging a like portion on the other brace arm tolimit the sweep between the arms.

4. In combination, a table top, legs swingably mounted under the table top, plates one for each leg, means for swingably mounting the plates under the table top, said plates being located between the swingable leg mounting means connecting rods engaged with the plates to cause the plates to swing in unison, actuating rods engaged with the plates and legs to cause the legs to swing in unison, a pair of brace arms having their outer ends pivotally connected one to each of the alternate plates and having confronting portions pivoted to each other in overlapping relation, means carried by a confronting portion of one brace arm engaging a like portion on the other brace arm to limit the sweep between the arms, the last mentioned means including a securing bolt having an end extending free of one brace arm, and the other brace arm provided with a cavity conforming in. shape to the projecting end of the bolt to seat the extended portion of the bolt and lock the brace arms when they are in alignment.

EMIL SENFT. 

